Heat Exchanger pots

David, To make heaters I was mixing potassium permanganate with sugar powder. At the time of need, add some water or snow, shake well. You are done :)

Theoretical discussions about the physics of backcountry cooking on this forum are some of the most entertaining reading on the web. I have (usually) dismissed exotic materials and complex designs in the past because the returns (fuel savings, etc.) often fall far short of justifying the investment, but the exercise itself is amusing and intellectually challenging, so I have decided that it’s a worthwhile way to blow a little free time.

So, just for the sake of entertainment, I’ll be starting some MYOG threads in the next month or two on pot, stove, and windscreen designs that are unnecessarily complex and which employ exotic materials. These will be the backpacking equivalent of ball point pens made of aerogel and carbon nanotubes. They’re just amusing puzzles and they are meant to elicit a chuckle. I have some exotic materials on hand that I’ve never had before (like silicate-matrix carbon fiber composite materials that tolerate direct flame), and I plan to use them to fabricate some half-baked and far-fetched cooking kit designs. So, if you have some pie-in-the-sky ideas for ultralight backcountry cooking gear, share them here.

(moderators, feel free to move this thread to MYOG if you think it’s necessary)

like!

Good discussions going on in this thread also about conserving heat coming off our little canister stoves.